Photos of the Day

This is what it's like on the Ha-Ha. We can't wait for the October
30th start.

Photos Latitude/Richard and
Andy

Join the Spirit of Fleet Week Parade!

October 5 - San Francisco Bay

With the Fleet Week Air Show and Ship Parade canceled, local
mariners have volunteered to host two semi-organized boat parades
along San Francisco's Cityfront, on both Saturday and Sunday.
For any sailors interested, starting at noon on both days, Latitude
38 will parade Profligate from the yellow Blackaller
Buoy (near the Crissy Field Pier) down past the St. Francis,
the Marina Green, Aquatic Park, and Pier 39. We're not sure how
many boats, if any, might show, but we encourage you to join
us, flying your ensign. It will be a 'freestyle' event, so don't
crowd.

At 3:00 P.M., there will be a second parade
featuring the San Francisco Fire Department Fireboat, the Jeremiah
O'Brien, the USS Potomac, the San Francisco Pilot
Boat Golden Gate (if able to attend), the California
Hornblower, a Blue & Gold fleet vessel, a Red & White
fleet vessel, possibly a Pacific Marine and Commodore vessel,
and assorted small yachts and such. Vessels should keep at approximately
500-yard intervals and travel at six knots through the water
(there will be a mild flood). The staging area will be in the
vicinity of Pier 45, then remain in procession to Pier 23-27.
Participation beyond that point is optional, although the Fireboat,
Jeremiah O'Brien and Potomac will continue to the
Bay Bridge. Pat Maloney, Master of the Jeremiah O'Brien,
has agreed to coordinate the operational side of the event. He
will designate a VHF channel for ship-to-ship com. All participants
should monitor Channel 16 prior to 1500.

We want to assure everyone that there is
complete cooperation between the parade that starts at noon and
the one with commercial vessels that starts at 3:00. In fact,
we encourage everyone who participates in the noon parade to
join the 3:00 parade. We hope to see you out there.

Crew List Party

October 5 - Alameda

We'd like to remind everyone that the Mexico Crew List and Ha-Ha
Kick-Off and Reunion Party will be held at the Encinal YC in
Alameda on Wednesday the 10th from 6 to 9 p.m. There are lots
of folks who are going to be there who are looking for a boat
to crew on or who need crew. And it's a good time, too.

Bestaven Wins First Leg of MiniTransat

October 5 - Lanzarote, Canary Islands

If you want to make a name for yourself
in European racing, you enter the ultra competitive MiniTransat.
This event, held every two years, is for singlehanded sailors
in no-limitations 20-footers. The course is from La Rochelle,
France, to Lanzarote, Canary Islands. After a stop there, the
second leg is from Lanzarote across the Atlantic to Guadaloupe.
It's an extremely difficult race in extreme boats - as evidenced
by the loss of Italian entry Roberto Varinelli. They found his
boat, but not him. Despite the risks, only about half of the
people who want to do the race get a slot.

Winner of the first leg was Yannick Bestaven
of Aquarelle.com, who completed the course in a relatively
slow 11 days and 6 hours, a 90-minute margin over the second
place boat. Bestaven arrived hungry, having only packed eight
days worth of food for what turned out to be more than 11 days
at sea. Furthermore, he lost his only eating bowl overboard and
had to eat out of his bailer!

The first running of this event was about
22 years ago, when Norton Smith of Mill Valley took honors with
his Wylie-designed American Express. Northern Californian
Amy Boyer was the top woman finisher that year with Little
Rascal. This year's only American entry is Gale Browning,
a middle-aged mother, who is far down the standings. Brian Thompson,
known to many Northern California sailors as long time crew aboard
Steve Fossett's Lakota and PlayStation is in seventh
place.

Volvo Ocean Race

October 5 - Atlantic Ocean

Gurra Krantz's SEB pulled into the lead today over John
Kostecki and illbruck in the first leg of the Volvo Around
the World Race. It's been agonizingly slow going, however, as
the winds have been extremely light for everyone, and cabin temperatures
nearing the equator are topping 100 degrees.

Weather Updates

San Francisco Bay Weather

California Coast Weather

Looking for current as well as recent wind
and sea readings from 17 buoys and stations between Pt. Arena
and the Mexican border? Here's the place - which has further
links to weather buoys and stations all over the U.S.: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/stuff/southwest/swstmap.shtml.

Pacific Winds and Pressure

The University of Hawaii Dept. of Meteorology
page posts a daily
map of the NE Pacific Ocean barometric pressure and winds.